Some of you may know of our cat dilemma. For those of you who do not, here is a brief run down…
We moved to our new home in August 2009.
A month later, a little black cat showed up. And would not leave. And yes, I gave in and began feeding the poor thing.
A couple of weeks later, his sister showed up. And we prayed no more would come. And, thankfully, the prayer was answered.
We tried to find someone who would give them a home, but to no avail. So Will and I decided to keep them, got them spayed and neutered, rabies shots, and some other basic vet care, and named the pair Calvin and Lottie. John Calvin and Lottie Moon would probably not be proud, but I promise, the names were chosen out of respect and admiration for the two. My husband is a big John Calvin fan. Although, we would have gone for Calvin and Hobbes if the gender had worked out…
Anyway, fast-forward to the present. While both cats are sweet, they are driving our dog, Annabelle, crazy. Particularly Calvin, who likes to lounge in the sun (or give himself a bath) right beside our sliding glass door. Cue manic barking and crazed scratching at various intervals throughout the day. Then cue baby woken up from his nap, a toddler yelling “Be quiet, Annie!”, and a frazzled mommy. All of this is why we made the decision to put the cats on Craigslist.
I have since learned that no one wants to adopt two cats. I received a few calls from people wanting just one cat, and took their info just in case, but kept holding out because I wanted to keep the two together. I don’t think Calvin would care about being away from Lottie, but I think it would be hard on her to be away from him.
We have tried to keep them. And we have tried to keep them together. But it is getting out of hand. My sanity is at stake here. I, a definite animal lover, had even resorted to spraying Calvin with the hose when he stepped on the back patio in hope that the hose would encourage him to keep his distance like the ringing of the bell encouraged Pavlov’s dogs to salivate. But it appears behavior modification does not apply to Calvin.
So today, a lady that had called about ONE cat came by today to meet Mr. Calvin. The whole incident went something like this…
Calvin and Lottie make their way to the porch a little before 5pm, always prompt when it comes to food. I notice immediately that Calvin had been rolling in the sand again and try to brush it off. After all, he needs to look presentable as the lady is due to arrive a little after 5pm. Seeing that just petting him wasn’t effective in ridding his coat of the sand, I then use a wet bunch of paper towels to wipe him down. A little better. But now he looks somewhat dirty plus disheveled. So I go in to get our dog’s brush (Annabelle doesn’t need to know that part). Before I can use it, however, up pulls the lady into the driveway. I go out to greet her and talk with her about how Calvin and Lottie “adopted” us almost seven months ago. At this point, Calvin had finished eating, so I try to get him to come over.
Now…please note that this is the cat who goes up to everyone. He even loves other animals. Case in point, when I take my dog on a walk, Calvin not only walks with us, but he walks side by side with Annabelle. It’s wierd, but sweet. So imagine my surprise when Calvin quickly walks away and goes to the back of the house. I laugh, surprised, and comment on how unlike him this is. I go get him. I begin to carry him back, only for him to squirm out of my arms and run to the back again, scratching me in the process. He has never done this. Then Will steps in to help. Calvin especially loves Will.
I see Will carrying Calvin around from the back. I see Calvin squirm out of Will’s arms. I see Calvin run, this time towards the tree line. I am embarrassed. The lady tells me that she will be going out of town tomorrow but will check back next week to see if we have found a home for him yet. I state again that Calvin never acts like this. She laughs and leaves. I know she was probably thinking that I am just desperate to get rid of a delinquent cat and wonder if she will really check back next week.
I look at Will in disbelief as she drives away.
So I have 3 theories.
One, Calvin knew why she was there. And he didn’t like it. He doesn’t want to leave. So he acted out.
Two, Calvin sensed something about this person that he didn’t like. I do know that animals can sense things…so who knows?
Three, God is using Calvin to punish me. Okay, I don’t believe that at all. God doesn’t work that way. But sometimes I do wonder if we are supposed to keep him for some reason we don’t know of at this point.
But personally, I tend to think Theory One is our winner. He just couldn’t stay away.
Dancing in the Mundane 